This is but a tiny thread pulled from the vast tapestry that is plez's World.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Bill Clinton: "Obama is ready to lead"

Speaking as the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to call in the votes of those disaffected Hillary Clinton primary voters.

Over the past 9 months, President Clinton himself had been a frequent critic of Sen. Barack Obama's experience level. But on Wednesday night, he favorably aligned his experience when he was elected to that of Obama (actually, Obama is older than Clinton was when he became president).

Clinton said, "Last night Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she is going to do everything in her power to elect Barack Obama. That makes two of us -- actually that makes 18 million of us!"

A reference to the number of Democratic primary voters who backed Hillary Clinton.

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Democrats Wednesday officially nominated Obama to be their candidate for president, making him the first African-American to lead a major party ticket. Earlier in the day, Sen. Hillary Clinton graciously released her delegates to vote as they wished.

Sen. Hillary Clinton motioned to cut the roll call short saying, "With eyes firmly fixed on the future, and in the spirit of unity with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let's declare together with one voice right here, right now that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president."

"Is there a second?" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California asked the crowd of more than 4,400 delegates.

Delegates then affirmed Obama as their choice with cheers, officially capping a long and hard-fought battle between Obama and Clinton.

Read the CNN.com articles about Bill Clinton's speech and Obama's nomination here and here and here.

plez sez: on to november... this healing should've taken place weeks ago, like on June 4th (the day after Obama secured enough votes to win the democratic nomination)!

plezWorld is glad that the rift is seemingly over... we must set our sights on removing the republicans from the white house.

PLEZ: I've really enjoyed your comments on RDB. Sorry to be so late in visiting. My son has been in Panama with me for all of August.

I agree with you on when the healing should have taken place. I even think they could have spoken in May with Clinton offering her help in how to deal with it when he loses the media's love and he's the lonliest man in town. Obama, in kind, could have given her a lesson or two in how to entice the media and which reporters could be depended upon to dump.

Then a firm handshake and steely-eye and they go out to do battle again but with the idea that the loser will support the winner no matter what.

The Clinton "fans" who announced they would support McCain over Obama are merely racists or worse. There is no difference between Obama and HRC on intelligence, readiness, leadership abilities or the issues. Any person who would switch from HRC to McCain is crazy stupid or both.

The Obama "fans" who were calling HRC "worse than Bull Connor" and WJC worse stuff were merely nutters who were late to politics and hadn't read much history.

Nobody in the Obama campaign REALLY thought either Clinton had said anything racist much less WERE racists. This was a hardball campaign and they had to stop HRC from making Rev Donny McClurkin the issue. So, they pre-empted the Clintons with the King v Johnson thing, the "fairy tale" thing, and the Jesse Jackson Sr 84 and 88 wins remark. And Jackson cleared the air immediately. It was absurd. Jackson is one of Clinton's best friends. They've often spoken on behalf of the other without fear.

It was not particularly gentlemanly of Obama to kick the Clintons completely to the curb, but that was another hardball tactic I'm sure the Clintons understood. The press hates the Clintons, doesn't understand Obama and loves McCain. Obama to be sure had the press's help against Clinton and wouldn't and won't against McCain. So, if a little cold-shoulder was necessary for some free-media help, why not?